1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of recreational fishing equipment. More particularly, the invention pertains to a system for the temporary storage of waste monofilament filament fishing line.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a need experienced by fishermen and not addressed by any existing product currently on the market.
While fly fishing there is a constant need to add and remove tippet and leader (monofilament fishing line), which can generate up to 50 meters of waste line per fishermen during a season. Streamside fishing using spin-gear also generates significant monofilament waste. This waste line often ends up being discarded into the environment and accumulating in water systems and riverbanks without degrading for periods well in excess of 600 years.
It's not uncommon for fishermen to change rigs 10 or 20 times during a given day on the water. This can generate around an inch of waste each change. On top of this, adding tippet generates around 2-6 inches and together with unanticipated tangles, many rig set-ups, i.e. tandem-rigs/droppers result in 12-18 inches of line that is not typically reused.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service there are over 34 Million recreational fishermen in the U.S. alone. While most are conscientious and make efforts to avoid dropping waste line into the water, line still ends up falling out of pockets and tackle boxes when rummaging for other equipment. This line accumulates on banks and riverbeds and contributes to the aggregation of flotsam, which not only affects local wildlife, but also hampers water management and supply efforts.
The habitat ecology of fish and other wildlife can be seriously and adversely affected by careless or accidental depositing of fishing line in the water or on the bank. Monofilament is particularly resistant to biodegradation and can persist for over 600 years. The newer fluorocarbon fishing line, that is gaining popularity among today's flyfisherman, is reported by manufacturers to be almost totally resistant to decay.
Although there is currently no legislation controlling the disposal of waste monofilament, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently aware of this growing problem. The EPA was responsible in 1994 for proposing a nationwide ban on the use of lead weights for fishing purposes. This led to legislation being passed by several U.S. states restricting lead use and spurred an explosion in the marketing of non-lead alternatives to lead sinkers and jig heads.
Currently there are significant restrictions in Chile for the controlled disposal of waste monofilament by fishermen. Chile is also one of the main non-U.S. destinations for American anglers.
Although these are legitimate reasons for many fishermen to buy a waste monofilament storage device, being conscientious as anglers traditionally are, this does not constitute the primary motivation fishermen will have for purchasing this innovation.
A major problem for most fishermen is the temporary storage of waste line while on the water. Most anglers, when asked in an on-line poll, reported that they are inclined to preserve their recreational environment by preventing personal and avoidable pollution. This means that most of the 34.1 million Americans that fish regularly try to store the waste they generate for transport to an appropriate trash receptacle.
The temporary storage of this line is problematic on multiple levels. First, for the fly fisherman standing within the water system or on the riverbank, there are only two options available when generating waste monofilament. One option is to go against the natural predisposition of most anglers and discard the line into the water or onto the bank. The other option is to attempt to cram monofilament, which can range in length from less than an inch to perhaps a foot or more, into fishing-vest pockets or tackle boxes. As is often the case described by fishermen, this is rather difficult and typically results in the waste line becoming entangled with other tools and equipment stored in fishing vests or tackle boxes.